Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (3.17.17)

Hey Church!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I hope you've had a great week.  This Sunday, we're beginning a new 4-weeks series called "Pray-er" in which we're talking about how to truly become people of prayer.  Whether you're just curious about prayer, want to know what it's all about or looking for ways to connect more deeply with God, I believe this series will transform your life.

Tonight is is our St. Patrick's Day Chili Cook-Off Party & Game Night.  Bring some chili for the competition, a dessert, or a game to share or just come on out for some fun!  No matter what campus you're a part of, all are welcome!  6 p.m. at Harmony Grove.

Thought for the Week
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28

Today, many of us will wear a shirt with 'lucky' on the front or hope for the 'luck of the Irish' in our lives.  It's all in good fun along with our green clothes.  If you search for the keyword 'luck' on Biblegateway.com (a great resource) or the Bible App on your phone (another great resource), you won't be able to find the word luck anywhere in the Bible.  Now, this isn't to say I don't believe in luck.  Sometimes you get lucky.  Sometimes you're unlucky.  I'm a big enough sports fan to have seen both sides of it.  But the idea of luck is a really deep issue if you want to get into it.  It's hard use anything other than luck to describe something like me fooling around on a basketball court and throwing a full-court basketball shot one handed and it going in.  But the idea of luck is not really addressed much in the Bible.  It's not really a concept that's discussed.  Unfortunately, many of us bank on it.  We're just hoping to get lucky.  In our jobs.  In our finances.  In relationships.  In parenting.  In life.  Maybe we'll just get lucky and things will work out.  That's not really the message of God.  Instead, in Romans, the Apostle Paul flatly says that things wont's always work out.  There will be negatives.  We might call it bad luck.  But, for those that fervently pursue God, He begins to weave those negatives into a beautiful tapestry that tells our story.  They become a part of the fabric of what God has done and is doing in our lives.  They become a catalyst for the movement of the Spirit.    So love Him.  Seek Him.  God is working for the good of you, even in your unlucky moments.  He didn't cause them. He CAN use them to write your story.   And He has such a good story planned for you.

In Christ,

Carter 

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (3.10.17)

Hey Church!

I hope you're finishing up a great week.  I know students across Gwinnett & Barrow are enjoying a day off today!  This Sunday, you'll hear special messages at each campus.  It will be a great day of worship.  Then, gear up for a 4-weeks series called "Pray-er" beginning March 19.  It's going to be a great season ahead as we prepare for Easter!

Thought for the Week
"He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."  Daniel 2:21

This Winter (if you can call it that) has been one for the books.  You can see signs of an early Spring peeking through nature. The older I get, the more fascinated I am with the seasons.  Almost overnight, you wake up to see greenery in the Spring or the leaves turning in the Fall.  It's an amazing process that takes a year in the making, and it reveals there is much going on behind the scenes.  This is our God -- Master of the Season.  The Orchestrator of "much going on behind the scenes."  It is in those moments of recognizing God's grandeur that I remember He is orchestrating much behind the scenes of my life.  And I need not worry.  I can't hurry the process.  I can do things to harm it, but the most important thing is to think about what I can do today that will ensure that whatever God is doing blooms when it's supposed to.  That may mean a season of being dormant.  It may mean letting go of the 'leaves' that need to go.  It may mean soaking in the rain of a wet season (which isn't particular fun).  What I can do is trust the process and be faithful in it.  There's a lot going on behind the scenes of your life.  A lot.  But the God that directs the seasons is the same God who is working in your life to spring-forth something beautiful.  You can trust Him.  He's got this.  How can you be faithful today to be ready for whatever God is doing in your life?

In Christ,

Carter McInnis
Lead Pastor

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (11.18.16)

Hey Church!

I hope you're having an awesome week.  It's a big Sunday this week as we host our annual Turkey Fry.  Plan to be a part of the awesomeness!  You can bring food, make a financial donation and/or volunteer to help fry, wrap/package or deliver.

Also, this week we'll finish out the mini-series "Overdrawn."  This week we'll be talking about 'Debt.'  See you there!

Thought for the Week
"“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:8-9

I have a confession that's fairly terrifying:  I have no idea what God's plan is.  When I was a little bit younger in my faith journey, I used to think I could see over the horizon to what God had planned.  I can't. Sometimes I see glimpses, but I honestly just don't know.  I have learned this the hard way, trying to manage the Holy Spirit to fit into my idea of what I think God 'should' do.  It never really works well that way.  It's better this way.  Now, that means that as I grow in my walk with God (and this is true for you, too) we actually need more and more faith.  This means my trust level has to go up astronomically because I have no idea what's in store.  Frankly, many people are incredibly uncomfortable with this proposition.  By nature, most of us like predictability.  The guidance of the Holy Spirit is anything but predictable.  We. Have. No. Idea. What. God. Has. In. Store. Next.  Absolutely no idea.  His ways, his thoughts, his plans are on a different level than ours. If we are to believe this, then it means we must trust God deeply when he seems to take an unexpected turn.  This means we must have high levels of faith that God knows what He's doing.  It really boils down to trust and faith.  I started with a confession, but can I share with you a reality:  You have no idea what God's plan is either.  You have no idea what God wants to do in your life 10 years from now or 5 years from now or 10 months from now.  You have no idea what that will mean for the next 2-3 months and how He'll need to turn you in His direction to position you for that plan.  You have no idea the people you'll meet to prepare you for that plan.  You have no idea the disappointments that will happen that will end up looking like important crossroads.  You and I just have no idea.  So we must trust God every single day.  I have learned (through enough hard lessons), that He is worthy of my trust.  His ways are better than mine.  I want what God wants.  Not what I want.  Might as well trust Him.

In Christ,

Carter

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (10.21.16)

Hey Church!

I hope you're having an awesome week.  We've got a big weekend coming up!

This Saturday at 9 a.m., come out to Harmony Grove to clean out The Commons to get ready for construction.  We've got to get it totally cleared out.  We'll have donuts, coffee, and juice.

On Sunday, we begin a brand new series called "Surviving the Election."  It's going to be a great three weeks as we look for hope in this contentious political season.  I believe the Church can offer a fresh word into our lives this election.  Invite a friend and see you there!

Thought for the Week
"The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 1 Samuel 24:6

I love the story and character of David in the Old Testament.  He's most well known for his slaying of the giant, Goliath, but his life offers rich resources of faithfulness and the frailties of our own humanity.  At his best, David had an incredibly sound perspective in the heat of the moment.  In this passage, he has a chance to kill his adversary, King Saul, in a vulnerable and weak moment.  It will be quick and decisive.  His men have offered to do it for him.  This will put him on the throne and raise him to leadership over all of Israel.  He won't do it.  It's not the right thing to do.  It's not the right way to go about his business.  God has already anointed and called him to be king, but it is not his time, and it should not happen this way.  David won't be controlled by his impulses, "God forbid I should do that."  We are kind of a culture of impulses.  We buy what we want when we want.  We do what we want when we want.  On Demand even allows us to watch what we want when we want.  Isn't it great!  There is very little call for restraint in our world.  But faithfulness to God, trust in God...it requires patience and restraint.  What David is saying is, "God forbid I take a shortcut to my destiny.  No, I wan't do it.  I won't do something wrong to try to get to what is right.  I'll wait."  Every day we face 'in the heat of the moment' instances.  It is so easy to take the easy way out.  It is so easy to take the shortcut.  It is so easy to take the path of least resistance.  Could we exercise a kind of Godly restraint that says, "God forbid I do it that way?"  You won't regret it.  We will most certainly always regret doing it our own way when God demands otherwise.  David eventually became King.  He eventually met his destiny.  God came through in David's patience.  He always does.

In Christ,

Carter r

Tough times, tough people and a tougher God

I read a line in a book recently that went something like this, "Just because you're going through tough times doesn't necessarily mean you're outside of God's will."  I had to let that sink in for a moment.  It's so true.  It's so profound.

There is kind of an underlying sentiment that almost all of us share that if we're going through something bad, we must've done something wrong.  God is judging us, angry at us, and out to get us.  God is the big bully in the sky, and we just need to get back aligned with him and our lives will be smooth sailing.

This thinking comes from the myth that if we will follow Jesus that our lives will be rainbows, unicorns and lollipops.  Everything will be okay with God in our lives.  He will protect us and lead us into greener pastures.  I'm just not sure that's accurate.

So, the only natural response to tough times is thinking we've done something wrong.  We're not doing what God wants us to do.  There's no Biblical merit to that thinking.  You might be going through tough times precisely BECAUSE you're smack dab in the center of God's Will.  The world might be opposed to God's will, so if you're in it, the world might be opposed to you.  There's just no correlation.  Life is up and down, and there's little we can do about it.

The task is to remain faithful.  Now, to be sure -- sometimes our sin and stupid decisions put us in a tough spot.  We usually know when we've done that.  But sometimes the test results just come back positive.  Sometimes we just get caught in the massive layoff.  Sometimes people betray us.  Sometimes someone rear-ends us.  Sometimes the water line leaks.  Sometimes life happens. And it's not because you're against God's will.

So trust Him.  Don't wait for things to turn around to trust Him.  Don't wait till he 'comes through' to prove himself to you.  That's not faith.  Trust Him in the valley.  They say tough times don't last, but tough people do.  Maybe that's true, but I've faced times in which I didn't feel as tough as what was going on around me.  But God is tougher.  Trust him in the season of mess.  It's not because He's turned His back on you.  He's there.  He'll outlast it.

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (9.29.16)

Hey Church!

I hope you've had a 'complaint free' week...or you're at least getting better.  What an awesome word from God these past few weeks to think about what we're thinking about saying.  This Sunday, we're beginning a brand new, three-week series called "Sorry Not Sorry."  We're going to look at what repentance is all about.  That's not exactly something we talk about in everyday life, but it's crucial to a life of faith, and when we understand it, our lives will truly be changed.  Hope to see you there!

Thought for the Week
"For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law."  Romans 3:28

I saw a picture today of some of the decorated swimmers from the Rio Olympics getting to visit the White House and meet the President.  What a thrill that must be for those accomplished Olympians!  Isn't that the way our system works?  Win a medal or championship and the athletes get to meet the President.  Get elected student council president and get access to the principal.  Make the most sales and get lunch w/ the CEO.  Achievement gets us access to those higher up on the totem poll.  That's kind of the American way, and it seeps into our thinking on faith.  We 'think' that our good deeds, our works, and our accomplishments will get us before God.  He'll be so proud.  But that's not how it works.  It's not about our achievements.  We are able to stand before God because of faith in Christ.  Faith that Christ died for us.  Faith that Christ rose again.  Faith that, through grace, our sin was defeated on the cross.  Not by what we have done -- but by what Jesus has done.  And guess what, God couldn't be any more prouder of you already.  You are made in His image.  Your accomplishments don't make Him love you more because He couldn't possibly.  We certainly ought to strive for good works because they are pleasing to God, but don't buy the lie that you need to keep doing good to get on God's good side or get access to Him and His love.  That's only done by faith.

Because of Jesus,

Carter

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (9.8.16)

Hey Church!

I hope you had a great Labor Day and a short week!  I'm sooooooooo excited about kicking off our new series starting this week - "No Complaining."  We're going to look at some scriptures that will help us speak life and understand why the negative isn't necessary.  Bring a friend!  It's going to be an awesome time.

This Sunday also marks the 15th anniversary of 9/11.  We'll have a special time of prayer and remembering.  I hope to see you there.  Don't forget at Harmony Grove the Traditions Experience moves to 11:15 this week.

Thought for the Week
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

I was recently looking over electrical, mechanical and plumbing plans for The Commons construction project at our Harmony Grove location, and for a liberal arts major, it's about like reading another language.  They are so detailed about every aspect.  Have you ever looked at detailed building plans?  They look very complicated.  I know that the finished product will be beautiful, even if I don't understand all the plans.  If an architect's plans look complicated to laymen like me, imagine what God's plans for your life look like to our mortal minds.  They are a web of details, categories, and explanations that you and I don't understand.  They are drawings of what does not yet exist.  We can't understand them.  They are beyond our comprehension.  However, I wouldn't dare tell our architect that I or one of church members is going to take over the project because we just don't understand all his drawings and it looks too complicated.  We trust him.  We trust his knowledge to help create a beautiful finished product and we know it's a project beyond our scope and knowledge.  But how many times do we take the blueprints away from THE Architect and take over our lives because the process is taking too long, we don't understand the plan or it's just too complicated?  How many times do we think we know better than Him?  He has plans.  Plans to make you into a beautiful finished product.  Be certain that you won't understand them all now.  Trust the Architect and resist the urge to start drawing yourself.  He's got a plan so much better than you could have imagined.

In Christ,

Carter McInnis
Lead Pastor

Circumstances

Over the last few weeks, I have preached a couple of times on the temptation to rest on our circumstances.  It's really not intentional, but we all slide into the role of being a victim of our circumstances.  If things are going great, we're feeling good.  If things are going bad, we're in a bad place.

We're tempted to structure our lives on our careers, families, finances, health or circle of relationships.  None of those things are bad things.  But can I make a promise to you?

Your circumstances WILL change.

Maybe for the better, maybe for the worse.  Life has ups and downs.  If your joy and existence is dependent upon the things of this world, you are bound for disappointment.  I believe this is the source of the malaise so many are living in today.  We are building our lives on the things of this world.  This isn't to say that life won't bring us happiness and pleasure.  And it isn't to say that life won't get us down sometimes.  What I mean to say is that the foundation of our lives, the true source of our joy, the rock upon which we stand must be something that is never changing if we are to weather the storms and keep our heads about us in the good times.

God WILL NOT change.

He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  He is faithful.  In the valley, he walks with us.  In the good times, he celebrates with us.  In the pit of sorrow, he weeps for and with us.  But His love is never ending.  Circumstances CAN'T take that away.  Circumstances can most certainly take away all that we thought was secure in this world.  But it can't take away His love.

So are you counting on circumstances?  Don't set yourself up for disappointment.  Stand on the one who transcends the circumstances of life.  People of faith in something -- someone -- not of this world.

Beyond Understanding

Let's face it, we like order in life.  We like to have everything under control.  We like to calculate and plan and prepare and set our calendars.  And we want to know just what God is doing.  Recently, I was reading the story of Samson's birth.  Samson was a judge over Israel, and his birth is one of many miraculous birth stories in the Bible.

His parents are encountered by an angel who declares to them Samson's pending birth and gives this special instructions about how to nurture and raise him to be the leader God has created him to be.  They invite the angel to stay for dinner and Samson's father asks the angel his name.  This is his reply:

He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding." (Judges 13:18)

It's a profound notion.  You can't even understand my name.  You couldn't dream of understanding everything else going on in the heavenly realms.  When you meet a person with a unique name, it might take you a few minutes to pronounce it right. You might ask them what it means in their family or in their language, and they tell you.  It all makes sense then.  You understand they are from a unique family or culture, but you eventually get it.  This angel was from a culture, a realm, a world, a place, an existence that you and I can't understand.

I want to understand all that God is doing in my life and in the world.  I don't.  I can't.  My knowledge and scope is soooooooooo limited.  That leaves me with lingering questions:  Am I going to trust and follow even if I don't fully understand where I am going?  Am I going to 'lean into' Jesus even if I can't fully see where, exactly, I'm leaning?  Am I'm I going to take my next faithful step even if I'm not sure what the step after that looks like?

I am convinced this is the course for people of faith and a critical step in becoming a disciple.  We so deeply want it all to make sense and have the next 5-10-20 years planned out.

We can't.

Because we don't know where this is going.

And even if He told us, it is beyond our understanding.

For we see dimly what will one day be clear.

But it's not for now.

So will you just go?  Will you stop planning and just take the next faithful step?  That's my task.  I don't understand it all, Lord, but I'm willing to walk with you.  Because though it doesn't always make sense, I trust YOU more than the best-laid plans of mice and men, namely me.  Could that be your prayer today?

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (7.16.16)

Hey Church!

It was an awesome week at KidsGames.  We had about 80 kids each night, and what a blessing it was to minister to these little ones in our community.  Thanks so much to all our volunteers who made it an awesome week!

This Sunday, we'll continue our series "Family Movie Night" and we'll learn some lessons from the move "Up."  It's going to be a fun day.  Bring a friend and come ready to experience Jesus!

Thought for the Week
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?"  Luke 12:25

I worry about terrorism.  I worry about the election.  I worry about our country.  I worry about my children.  I worry about the economy.  I worry about my health.  I worry about our church.  I worry about the future.  I worry about the unknown.  I worry about the community.  I worry about the people who don't know Jesus.  I worry.  Can we all just admit it:  we worry.  There's not one of us who doesn't worry something or someone.  We worry because we don't have the answers and there are no certainties.  But worry is actually a lack of faith.  Worry reveals where our security resides.  Worry reveals that we don't trust God.  Worry does no good.  It only increases anxiety and makes our mind imagine a world in which God won't show up.  But God WILL show up.  God WILL be with us.  And God DOES love us.  There are serious problems in the world and in our lives.  Serious things that raise our level of concern.  What would it mean for you and mean to trust God and have faith that He walks with us instead of worrying?  Worrying won't add an hour to your life, but it sure can make them more miserable.  Let's live in faith and trust.

In Christ,

Carter McInnis
Lead Pastor

Time Flies

How did this happen?

How in the world did we get here?  The only emergency credit card I have was about to expire so I got the new one in the mail.  I looked at the new expiration date and had to pause a minute.  I thought, "I have a card that will expire in the 2020s?"  That's, like, in the future.  

I am in a very strange time of life.  I am just an adult.  I'm not quite seasoned enough to have all the sage wisdom those near or at retirement have.  And I just don't quite have the energy that those just starting out have.  I'm in the middle.  But by the time you get to the middle, you begin to think about time differently.

After today, I will have a child headed to middle school.  That seems incredibly weird.  I have elementary kids -- not middle schoolers!  It's these realizations that people have what we used to call a "mid-life crisis."  I don't think I'll be buying any convertibles any time soon (what folks used to do during 'the crisis'), but we all certainly start looking for an answer to life's most important questions:  am I living for what I want to live for?  Is there more than the rate race?  

You see, and I don't mean to depress you, but here's something I know about you.  That number up there ^^^^^...

You've got one, too.  

That's right, you've got an expiration date.  Now, I hope it's a long, long ways off.  I'm sure it is.  But it's closer today than it was yesterday.  The realization of this for me is that I just want to be a part of what God is doing.  I want to know my life was a part of a much grander story than my own.  My story is too small.  We spend an awful lot of time on our story, which is really a 12-page short story in the midst of God's 1,500 page multi-volume novel printed in 100 languages.  The ending to my story is coming so quickly.  I mean, my card expires in the 2020's, y'all!  

Here's what I believe about us.  We find our best story in the midst of God's story.  When we live our own lives our own way we live in a story that is so limited and ends when we die, remembered by a few friends and family.  In God's story, we find our truest selves.  We are afforded the opportunity to participate in a story that spans eternity.

Would you pray the prayer of Habakkuk?  "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known."  (Habakkuk 3:2)  Don't you want to be a part of something bigger in your time?  Times flying, but it's never too late to start a new story.

Things you don't want to hear God repeatedly say

Be strong and courageous.  It sounds so encouraging, right?  It's uplifting.  We put it on little plaques and put it in our office.  I starting reading Joshua 1 again this morning, where that line famously comes from.  It's the call of God on Joshua to take the reins from Moses after his death.  And God says, "Be strong and courageous."

Three times.

Three.

3.

THREE TIMES!

Then, the people accept his new leadership and they say the same thing.  "We'll follow you Joshua, and be strong and courageous."

That's four times.

FOUR.

You know what that means?  Joshua was going to need to be strong and courageous.  That may seem silly. But really, when God tells you to be strong and courageous, that means He sees some days coming during which you'll need strength and courage.  Wouldn't you rather God lead you on a relaxing path to Easy Street?  It usually doesn't work that way.  We'll have days of difficulty and great challenge.

You'll have those days.  It won't always be a cakewalk.  You'll need strength, and you'll need courage to accomplish what God has planned for you.  And, like Joshua, God will promise to be with you, but that doesn't mean you won't need to be strong and courageous.

Don't think when life hands you opportunities to be strong and courageous that God has left the building.  This is what God has prepared you for.  You might be facing one of those days today or one might be around the corner, but you can do it.  Don't shrink from it.  Just because it's not easy doesn't mean you have to turn tail and run.  Be strong.  Fight through it.  Be courageous and bold.  God is with you.  He never promised this would be easy.  He just promised He'd be with you.  So, be strong and courageous.

Trust builds relationships

We live in a world where there is an incredible lack of trust.  We don't trust anyone to do anything.  We don't trust that others won't sue us, so we have waivers for nearly every activity under the sun.  We don't trust our community, so we have video surveillance.  We don't trust our kids, or even ourselves, so we have have firewalls on our computers.  Yet, trust is THE currency for relationships, and it builds and strengthens relationships like nothing else.  We just rarely see it anymore.

That's why I was shocked on Monday when I went to eat lunch at a local restaurant.  They don't take cards, only cash, and the server/cashier said, "Don't worry if you don't have any cash, you can just pay us next time you come in."  But I had never been before.  And how did she know I was coming back?  What if I was from out of town?  I had cash, so I paid my bill, but it was still staggering.  But you know what?  It made me want to come back.  The burger I was about to order was now going to taste better because she trusted me.  She believed in me.  She thought there was good in me.  Often, we find what we're looking for.

Trust is believing there is something good in others.  Now, people will disappoint us and hurt us, but we don't do each other, society, and our families any good when we don't trust each other.  Instead, when we trust others, we can often bring out the best in them because, deep down, we humans don't really want to let each other down.

If you want deep relationships, you have to trust.  This is what is so profound about our relationship with God.  He trusts us with so much.  He trusts us with our freedom, the earth, our families.  He trusts us with His Church and His message.  He trusts us with His heart.  And when we don't trust Him, our relationship with God suffers.  Trust is THE currency of relationships.  When we withhold trust from God, we are saying that we aren't sure if there is good in Him.  We are unsure of Him.  We are thinking He might let us down.  He won't.  Think about all He has trusted you with.  It's because He loves you and believes in you.  That ought to inspire us to trust Him.

I certainly wanted to trust Casey's in downtown Winder with my business again because they trusted me.  BTW, the Bacon Pimento Cheese Burger with Sweet Potato Fries is spot on.

First Try

This past weekend we had a first around the McInnis house -- my 11 year-old son helped cut the grass.  Well, sort of.  He did the weed-eating.  It certainly saved me some time.  It was not the prettiest weed-eating job you'll ever see.  The aesthetics left a little to be desired.  It was a little choppy and a little scalped in various places.  But it was his.  He was proud.  It was a landmark moment that Dad believed in him.

But it was also a landmark moment because he came out while I was working in the yard and said he wanted to help.  He wanted to do the work his father was doing, and because of that, I wanted to give him more responsibility.  I wanted to give him more freedom.  I believed in him more because he was about my work.

Does God have to poke and prod you to be about his work, or do you go outside and ask if you can do what your Heavenly Father is doing?  When we ask to be a part of what God is doing, our Father is happy to give us more responsibility and freedom.  He begins to believe in us even more.

We spend a great deal of time talking and thinking about our belief in God, but one our biggest hurdles in life is coming to the understanding that God believes in us.  He trusts us with earth.  He trusts us with our lives.  He believes in us, especially when we demonstrate that we get it.  When we ask to be a part of what He is doing instead of staying inside and doing our own thing, God believes in us even more.  I'll bet God looks at our work and it's a little choppy.  I'll bet he'd describe it as not the prettiest job in the world.  But he's proud.  And (get this), He's able to concentrate on doing the things that only He can do.  Riding the big lawn mower is too big a job for my son right now.  Only I can do that, but he can handle the trimmer.  There are things that only God can do in our world.  But, the bigger question is what are we NOT doing simply because we won't join in God's work.  He believes in you.  He trusts you.  He wants you to be involved in what He is doing.  Go ask him how you can help.  It's okay if it's not the prettiest result in the world.  Your Father will be proud.

Right here, Daddy!

I am coaching T-ball this year.  My two youngest sons, 4 and 6, are on the team.  My six-year old is a pretty good ball player and can swing the bat pretty good.  My little one, Brooks, is a little fella and one of the youngest on the team.  He swings as hard as he can, which isn't very hard, but he hits it off the tee alright.

I pitch each player three pitches before they get two swings off the tee.  A couple of games ago, I hit Brooks.  He was none too happy.  The next game up, he was obsessed with me pitching it perfect -- right down the middle.  He basically stuck his bat out and said, "Pitch it right here."  It became more of a game of me trying to hit the bat rather than him trying to hit the ball.  I told him that he had to actually swing the bat himself and do some work.  He pointed and said, "Right here."

Isn't that the way we are with God?  Throw it right here, Father, right down broadway.  We don't want to have to swing.  We want God do to things juuuuust right in our lives so that it requires minimal effort on our part.  But we have to swing.  We have to take steps of faith.  We might have to practice.  We might have to swing and miss a few times.  We might even strike out.  God wants to give us opportunities, but we have to swing the bat.

Don't miss out on what God has in store because you're waiting for the perfect pitch.  Swing the bat at the pitch God has given you right now.  It won't be the last pitch.  Faith is swinging when we're not sure if we're going connect.  Faith is swinging after we missed the last time.  Faith is trusting that God will put the right ball in the right spot at the just the right time we need a home run.  You see, God believes in us.  Believes we can hit it.  Believes in who He created us to be.  God doesn't want to do it alone.  God wants to do it with us, in us and through us.  So swing away.  Trust me...God is a much better pitcher than me.

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (12.12.14)

I hope you're having a fantastic week.  It's hard to believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away.  This Sunday we'll continue with our series "That Awkward Moment" in which we look into the characters of the Christmas Story and their awkward moments with God.  This week we'll be talking about Joseph.  Hope to see you there!

Also, don't forget to be making plans for Christmas @ Church of the Way.  We've got four different Worship Experiences to choose from:

Grayson Campus @ the SE Gwinnett Co-Op
Tuesday, Dec. 23
6:00 p.m. - Modern Acoustic Worship

Lawrenceveille Campus @ Archer High School
Wednesday, Dec. 24
4:00 p.m. - Traditions Communion Service
5:30 p.m. - Family Experience for Adults & Kids
7:00 p.m. - Classic Experience

Childcare is provided for all services.  Invite friends and family with an e-card here.

Thought for the Week
"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel -- God with us.  That is the story of Christmas.  In fact, that's the story of God's relationship with us, really.  We would rather God's story be another one.  We would rather the story be that we never have to go through anything difficult.  We would write a story in which life was easy and we were removed from any uncomfortable situation.  That is not God's story.  God's story is that He is WITH us.  Impossibly and incredibly with us.  In a manger.  Fleeing to Egypt.  With us.  In disease and divorce.  In the loss of of jobs and loved ones.  In tears of joy and cries of laughter.  In pain and suffering.  On top of the mountain and in the valley.  God is with us.  If we could really wrap our heads and hearts around the idea that God is with us, how would that change how we walk through the valleys?  Would we walk with more confidence knowing that the God of all creation walks alongside us?  Be encouraged.  No matter what you're doing through, God is with you.

In Christ,

Carter

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (9.11.14)

I hope your week is going great.  Today is one of those days on the calendar that most of us will always remember (more on that below.).  It's also our church birthday.  We launched our first Worship Experience on Sunday, September 11, 2005 at Simonton Elementary School.  It has been quite a ride.  A lot of people asked me why we chose that Sunday.  I said that we'd be sure to remember the date, and more importantly, we wanted to bring a positive memory to a date etched in our brains.

This Sunday we'll be continuing the "CRAZY" series on the life of King David.  We'll be talking about the story of David and Goliath this week.  Hope to see you there!

Thought for the Week (Day)
"Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me."  Psalm 23:4

I can't tell you how many funerals during which I've read Psalm 23.  It is one of those passages that brings hope and comfort.  It is hard to imagine now that week after Tuesday, September 11, 2001.  It was surreal.  No work.  No Friday night football games.  No flights.  No Saturday College football.  No School.  No stock market.  No Sunday NFL.  Everything just stopped.  We just sat with our families and watched the 24/7 coverage.  And wept.  The world shut down.  Sunday church was the first time many of us ventured out of the house.  I sat in my parsonage late at night one evening that week with my newlywed wife asleep and wondered if this was just the beginning -- were they coming for all of us.  What would I do to protect her and me.  I didn't have any good answers.  None of has any answers that week.  We knew that we wanted to be with the people we loved, we wanted to pray, and we wanted to go to church.  Perhaps we wanted to hear those words:  even in the darkest valley (the valley of the shadow of death as the King James Version calls it), God is with us.  September 11 reminds us that there is ugliness in the world.  We also recall heroic efforts as many fought to save innocent lives in New York, DC, and over a field in Pennsylvania.  We still have questions.  There will be more dark valleys, for our world, country and family.  We will experience ugliness.  There's no promise that we won't.  It's nowhere in the Bible.  But we can rest assured that God is with us.  God walks with us.  Thirteen years ago God walked with us as a nation in the U.S.  And He will walk with you through whatever you're going through.

Because of Him,

Carter 

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (8.14.14)

I hope you're having a great week.  God is doing some awesome things among us at Church of the Way.  Last night we had 53 students at our One Way Kickoff.  Praise God for what James Savage and our One Way Team are doing to impact the next generation.  I'm super excited about this Sunday as we continue the "Legacy" Series.  I'll be speaking on what it means to leave a good name for those that come after us.  What goes into a good name?  We'll see what God's Word has to say about it.  Hope to see you there an invite a friend!  As always, go to www.churchoftheway.net to send an eVite to friends.

Thought for the Week
"All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."  2 Timothy 3:16

Do you believe that verse?  The implications of that passage are staggering.  I have come to the conclusion that many don't believe it.  We like some ideas in the Bible, but we're not sure if they're all applicable to our lives.  They don't really "fit" our lifestyle.  Let me put it this way.  Doctors tell us that some foods are bad for us.  Now, many of us still choose to eat those foods.  Why?  Well, there are many factors, but here are the main three:

1. We believe we'll be THE ONE for whom those foods don't have an adverse affect.  They might be bad for others, but not for us.  Deep down, we sometimes believe that we won't be negatively affected by those foods.  They rules simply don't and won't apply to us because our bodies will respond differently than doctors predict.
2. We don't care and like them.  Our appetites and desires are powerful forces.  I know cheesecake and red velvet cake are not good for me.  I don't care.  I like them.  I try to practice moderation and only have them on special occasions.  Maybe moderation will help?  It's certainly better than having a piece of cake every day.  I care enough to cut back, but I don't care enough to never have a piece of cheesecake or red velvet cake ever again.  After all, I don't think they're THAT bad for me.  I'll just run a couple extra miles and make up for it.
3. We're not really sure the doctors know what they're talking about.  This is a big one, and it's legitimate.  We are learning new things about the human body all the time.  And what we're learning is that things we thought we used to know we don't know any more.  We used the thing eggs were bad, remember?  And, we all have an uncle or grandma who ate bacon every morning and fried vegetables at ever meal and lived to be 96.  So, for us, this is evidence that Physicians don't quite have our physiology completely figured out.

Now, think about that when it comes to ALL of God's directions for our life found in the Bible.  They are directions for the most full and healthy life we can have in Christ.  If we are honest, we often treat God's Word like eating directions from our doctor:

1. We think not listening to Him won't have as adverse an affect on us as predicted.
2. We don't care and really like our vice.
3. We're not sure He knows what He's talking about.

Essentially, we're not sure it all has authority for us, but this is not the plan for the full life God desires for each of us.  Let me ask you one question:  of all the people you know, which ones have the most full and joy-filled lives, the ones who are most closely aligned with God's Word or the ones who steer farthest from it?  And which one do you want to be?

In Christ,

Carter